Hey there! It’s Monday, and who is that handsome devil wearing a WBEZ face mask that is totally not Photoshopped? Here’s what you need to know today. (PS: You can have this delivered to your inbox by subscribing here.)

1. More coronavirus restrictions will be lifted Friday

Gyms, museums, zoos and indoor dining will reopen with some restrictions on Friday as the state enters a new phase of relaxing coronavirus restrictions. Chicago, which has its own plan for reopening businesses, will be on the same page as the rest of the state, officials said.

Restaurants will be able to reopen indoor dining to 25% of their capacity and seat no more than 10 people to a table. Gyms can reopen to 50% capacity and allow up to 50 people in fitness classes. Check out this article to learn more about what will reopen and what guidelines have been issued for different businesses. [WBEZ]

Meanwhile, the number of cases and deaths continue their apparent decline in Illinois. Officials today announced 26 deaths today, putting the state’s total number of fatalities at more than 6,600. Another 462 cases were reported today after more than 18,000 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours. Illinois has seen more than 137,000 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. [IDPH]

2. White House prepares for possible autumn surge in COVID-19 cases

The Trump administration is preparing for a surge in cases this fall by stockpiling supplies of medical equipment, according to White House trade adviser Peter Navarro.

“You prepare for what can possibly happen — I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but of course you prepare,” Navarro recently said on CNN.

The news comes as 29 states face a spike in new cases that health officials say is not from increased testing. Those states include California, Missouri and Oklahoma. [Washington Post]

Across the U.S., more than 119,000 deaths and more than 2.2 million cases have been reported. Click the link to find a map showing where infections are increasing and declining. [NPR]

3. Toddler among 14 people fatally shot in Chicago over the weekend

The city saw at least 104 people shot — 14 fatally — over the weekend, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. Among the dead are four teenagers and a 3-year-old boy, Mekay James, who was shot Saturday evening in a car as his father drove through the Austin neighborhood. Community leaders are offering a $9,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.

Teenager Amaria Jones was also fatally shot over the weekend. The 13-year-old died after a stray bullet hit her neck while she watched TV in her Austin apartment. She is the second person in her family to be shot to death. Amaria’s cousin, Derrick Burns, was fatally shot in September. [Chicago Sun-Times]

4. Chicago Board of Education to vote on whether to end Police Department deal

The Board of Education on Wednesday will vote on whether to bow out of a $33 million contract with the Police Department that allows officers inside schools. Protesters in recent weeks have criticized the agreement, saying cops in schools can have a negative impact on students.

It’s not clear if a majority of the seven-member board supports the measure. Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who appointed members to the board, said Local School Councils should decide on whether cops should be stationed in their schools. The councils are elected bodies composed of teachers, parents and community members. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Meanwhile, Lightfoot has said she wants cops banned from using chokeholds, but she has given no indication of when exactly that ban will come. [Chicago Tribune]

5. K-pop fans and TikTok users say they punked Trump rally

By now you’ve probably heard the news that President Trump’s rally in Tulsa did not see as many supporters as the campaign had expected.

In the lead up to the Saturday rally, Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale tweeted that more than a million “requests” were made to attend the event. But fewer than 6,200 people showed up, according to the Tulsa fire marshal’s office.

Fans of K-pop music and TikTok users claimed credit for that huge disparity, saying they mounted a covert online campaign to request tickets they planned on never using.

As this Washington Post analysis points out, that may have given the Trump campaign an inflated sense of interest in the rally, but it’s doubtful it caused the event’s small attendance. For starters, entry to the rally was first come, first serve, so there was no limit on the number of “tickets” to the rally. [Washington Post]

Here’s what else is happening

• President Trump “frequently” talked about his reelection with Chinese President Xi Jinping, said former national security adviser John Bolton. [NPR]
• The FBI has launched an investigation after a noose was found in the race garage of NASCAR’s only Black driver. [AP]
• Some LGBTQ clinics and organizations are suing the Trump administration over a rule that removes protections for transgender people. [NPR]
• Black candidates are hoping recent protests will boost their campaigns in tomorrow’s primary elections. [AP]

Oh, and one more thing …

Allegations of racism have caused two LGBTQ bars to part ways with one of Chicago’s top drag queens. Shea Couleé, a prominent Black performer and star of RuPaul’s Drag Race, said drag queen T Rex once joked about doing a group number for Black History Month where Couleé, dressed as a slave, would be whipped by white drag queens during Britney Spears’ “I’m A Slave 4 U.”

Couleé revealed the bombshell story in a virtual town hall meeting over the weekend in which various Black performers discussed their experiences with racism in Chicago’s LGBTQ community. During the meeting, T Rex, who is also known as Benjamin Bradshaw, admitted to joking about the number.

Two popular Boystown bars, Berlin Nightclub and Roscoe’s Tavern, have cut their ties to T Rex, who was also accused of blacklisting Black performers who stood up to her. [Block Club Chicago]

Tell me something good …

We’re officially now in summer! And I’d like to know: What is one of your favorite “songs of summer”?

I’ve got to go with “One Kiss” from Dua Lipa and Calvin Harris. What’s your favorite? Feel free to email or tweet me, and your response might show up here this week!

Feel free to email at therundown@wbez.org or tweet to @whuntah.

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